Thursday, May 30, 2013

Backstory: Principal Nunez said she would kiss a pig if Ruskin students met the $ goal for the Pennies for Patients drive. The students MET and SURPASSED the goal so it was Mrs. Nunez's turn to follow through. She couldn't do so since she was out on maternity leave...but she's back!

So, if you have the time, come to Fridayy Flag Pole and witness Mrs. Nunez pucker the pig!

1) It's supposed to be HOT. Make sure they have a water bottle to keep them hydrated.
2) No Little Buddies tomorrow because of the Wednesday Field Trip. So...
3) We will be in the Fitness Center tomorrow from 10:30 to 12:00 p.m. We will take a break at the halfway mark. All students will be able to use the Xbox Kinect tomorrow. :) Please bring a towel to help wipe down the equipment when you're done using it. And dress accordingly and appropriately! For example, NO slippers, hard heeled (i.e., wooden) shoes; NO tanktops; WEAR socks.

Thursday, May 23, 2013

Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday which occurs every year on the final Monday of May.[1] Memorial Day is a day of remembering the men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces.[2] Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the Union andConfederate soldiers who died in the Civil War. By the 20th century Memorial Day had been extended to honor all Americans who have died while in the military service[3]. It typically marks the start of the summer vacation season, while Labor Day marks its end....Memorial Day is not to be confused with Veterans Day; Memorial Day is a day of remembering the men and women who died while serving, while Veterans Day celebrates the service of all U.S. military veterans, living or dead.[5]

Sunday, May 19, 2013

Although the tickets are sold out for his only appearance today (Sunday), it will be cool to see Stan Lee in person at the Big Wow. Moreover, I look forward to meeting some of the artists who penciled, inked, and wrote the comic books I used to read during the 80s.

When I was a fourth grader, I was HUGE into comic books. Along with my brother and older cousin, we would talk about the story lines, art, super powers possessed by both the heroes and villains, and associated toys. My favorite titles were Captain America, Thor, Macross, and G.I. Joe. My brother specialized in the Fantastic Four and my cousin, the X-Men.

The love of comic books was imparted to me by my dad, who was a big comic book reader as a kid in the Philippines. I remember the days, after he would pick my brother and me up from our grandmother's house, when he would drive us in an early 1970s model Datsun 510 to a few comic stores that dotted San Jose: Willow Street Comics on Willow Avenue (a dingy, lower floor of a house that had a unique smell to it; has been closed for over 25 years); Mike's Coliseum on Lincoln Avenue (now Hijinx Comics; touted as San Jose's oldest comic store - http://www.hijinxcomics.com/history.html); and Comics and Fantasies in Princeton Plaza (I don't know why but it always smelled like a dead rat was rotting in their A/C vents). Stepping into the stores - rather, we RAN inside - always brought satisfying and exciting feelings. There was a reverence to them, as if the cover art of the comics were stained-glass windows. Like saints on pedestals lining the walls, the greats and the soon-to-be greats were on display: Jack Kirby, John Romita Sr., Barry Windsor Smith, Neal Adams, Berni Wrightson, Frank Miller, John Byrne, Alan Moore, and Alex Ross.

Back then, rotating comic racks could be found everywhere especially in 7-11s, Thrifty stores, Toys R'Us shops, and Woolworths. But the comic book industry had a lull during the '90s and comic books suffered greatly: titles by the major publishers were slashed; many artists left the big companies and went the independent route, producing their own titles; and the securing of intellectual property rights reared its ugly head. Comic stores soon shuttered and the only ways to buy comic books were to drive to the corners of the Bay to find those stores that weathered the downturn, subscribe to your favorite titles, and visit your local B. Dalton, Waldenbooks, or Barnes and Noble (though they were limited with the titles they carried and usually did not have the most recent releases).

Fortunately, the resurgence in the past ten years with CGI-driven films starring the industry's juggernaut characters (Batman, X-Men, Spiderman, Avengers, Thor, the Incredible Hulk, and Iron Man) has given comic books "a new life" to a new generation of readers, many of whom are my students' ages.

-- pgs. none-- packet due Wednesday at the end of class-- End of the Year Testing this week

NOTES:

We are now done with the Science textbook. :)

Fitness Center postponed due to Project Cornerstone on Monday. To be rescheduled at a later date and time this week.

Regarding Project Cornerstone: Ask your child about how words can hurt or heal.

District Testing will be finished tomorrow (Math)

Last week of Math switching is this week

Multiple Field Trip Permission Slips go home tomorrow

We will start Skylark (the movie tomorrow). It is the sequel the Newbery Medal book winner, Sarah, Plain and Tall, by Patricia MacLachlan; also, it appears in our Language Arts reading textbook. We will watch it over a couple of days.

Other movies (based on books we read) that we will be watching towards the end of the school year: The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin (Disney adaptation of By the Great Horn Spoon!); California's Gold episodes on exploring our state's towns, natural and historical landmarks, and resources; KQED special of a walking tour of Old San Francisco; among others.

Friday, May 10, 2013

First, the BERRYESSA ART AND WINE FESTIVAL is TOMORROW at the Berryessa Community Center! Get out, enjoy the weather, bop to Berryessa Union School District's finest musicians, eat and support the BUSD Music Boosters (who help subsidize Berryessa's music programs)!Second, SCIENCE FAIR projects are due on TUESDAY, MAY 14. If you're finishing up your projects and boards, this is the last weekend to do so!Third, HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to all mothers, grandmothers, step-mothers, and all motherly figures out there!

Fourth, NO HOMEWORK this weekend! Unless you have to finish your Science Fair projects...Lastly, the California Mission Projects look pretty good: the Power Point presentations definitely surprised me (in a good way!); the models look like the students really took their time creating them; and the photo scrapbooks display originality and personality!

8. Science -- pgs. none-- Science Fair Projects are due May 149. History

-- pgs. none-- Unit 2 Open Book Test tomorrow-- California Mission Projects are due May 10-- I am still waiting for FOUR STUDENTS to let me know what mission they will be researching, reporting and presenting

NOTES:

Since we are done with the textbook, we are reading BY THE GREAT HORN SPOON and will finish the book TOMORROW. (Really, we will.)

Spring Picture order forms have arrived and will be in this Wednesday's Folder.

Family Fun Night is ON! Friday, 5/31 from 5-7 pm

No field trip to Sacramento as we are already confirmed to go to Happy Hollow with our Little Buddies.